November 24, 2015
For a roundup of domestic and international events, click here.
Newsroom, 24.11.2015, 12:00
GOVERNMENT SESSION – An informal session of the new Government is today scheduled to address the draft budget for 2016. Government members must list priority projects for next year. The budget planning of the former Government provided for salary rises in the healthcare and education sectors. Parliament subsequently voted a 10% increase of all salaries in the public sector, although the law has not yet been ratified. The Finance Ministry is to establish whether these salary increases are sustainable, without exceeding the deficit target of 3% of the GDP.
ISIS – French President François Hollande is today meeting in Washington with president Barack Obama, as part of diplomatic efforts to convince the worlds superpowers to join efforts in what he has termed ‘a unique international coalition against the Islamic State terrorist group. Ahead of his visit, the US State Department called on the US-led international coalition, comprising 65 states, to intensify efforts to combat the global network of the jihadist Islamic State. Yesterday in Paris, François Hollande agreed with British Prime Minister David Cameron to step up the offensive against the Islamic State, reiterating that his country is at war with this jihadist group. Tomorrow, the French presidents diplomatic effort to rally the support against the IS will continue in Paris, where he is meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and subsequently on Thursday in Moscow, when François Hollande is to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
TERRORIST THREAT – The terror threat level for the Brussels Capital Region is being kept at the maximum of 4, the Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has announced, adding that the Brussels subway service and schools would reopen on Wednesday, Reuters reports. The level 4 alert, pointing to a serious and imminent threat, was imposed for the Brussels region on Saturday night. The level 3 terror alert for the rest of Belgium will remain in place until November 30. Brussels authorities have announced the arrest of 21 people in the Brussels region and Liege as part of a full-scale counter-terrorist operation. The list of arrested does not however include Salah Abdeslam, the key suspect in the November 13 attacks in Paris.
CONSULTATIONS – The president of the Republic of Moldova Nicolae Timofti is today resuming consultations with parliamentary factions in order to designate a new Prime Minister. He is today meeting with representatives of the Liberal-Democratic Party, led by former Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet, a party that so far has refused to take part in discussions around creating a new parliamentary majority with its partners from the former pro-Western coalition, the Liberal and the Democratic Parties. We recall the Government was disbanded at the end of last month in the wake of a no-confidence vote filed by the Socialist and Communist opposition, also voted by the Democratic MPs in the Moldovan Parliament.
COLECTIV – 10 of the 39 people who suffered burn injuries in the Colectiv nightclub fire on October 30 in Bucharest are still in critical condition, the Health Ministry reports. So far 42 people have been released from hospital care, while another 39 were transferred to medical units abroad. At least 60 people were killed in the fire.
VAT – Romanias VAT is one of the highest at global level and will still be placed in the first fifth of the global ranking even after its planned cut to 20% starting January 1, 2016, reads a recent study by the KPMG consultancy and audit company. At present, Romania ranks among the worlds top ten countries in terms of its VAT, standing at 24%. Hungary has the highest VAT in the world, 27%. On the other hand, Romania has one of the lowest flat corporate tax and income tax rates, standing at 15%, placing our country in the last fifth of the global ranking.
RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT – The Russian Defence Ministry has today confirmed that the SU-24 fighter jet shot down by Turkish military belonged to the Russian army, claiming however the aircraft was flying in Syrian airspace. This contradicts the original announcement of Turkish authorities, who claimed the aircraft was violating Turkish airspace. This is not the first incident on the Turkish border with Russia since the latter began a military offensive on Syria. On October 3 Turkish fighter jets intercepted a Russian military aircraft in its airspace headed to Syria. At the time Moscow claimed the incident was the result of unfavourable weather conditions. On October 16, the Turkish military shot down a Russian-made drone that violated Turkeys airspace. Tensions between the two countries have escalated recently in the wake of a series of Russian airstrikes on Turkish-speaking areas in Syria, an allegation dismissed by Moscow.
(translated by V. Palcu)
